On Saturday, July 6, 2024, at 7:00 PM, the ICR Beijing hosted the opening of the photo exhibition "Ana-Maria Brânză: The Grace of Women's Fencing at Five Consecutive Olympic Games" by Theo Niculae, a Romanian architect and artist based in Shanghai.
The event was highly successful, attracting a large number of Chinese attendees. The exhibition featured black-and-white photographs (90x60cm) taken by Theo Niculae in 2019, in collaboration with the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, showcasing the multiple Olympic and world champion épée fencer, Ana-Maria Brânză.
In his opening remarks, artist Theo Niculae shared the story behind this photographic project and discussed his collaboration with the world champion during a significant moment in her life – her retirement from her sports career. The contrasting emotions and character traits of a fighter were beautifully captured in the 18 black-and-white photographs, dynamically and plastically portrayed by Theo.
The exhibition was complemented by the documentary "Rețeaua de Idoli – Ana-Maria Brânză" by Irina Păcurariu (TVR), subtitled in Chinese by Liu Yizhe. The audience was mesmerized and deeply impressed by the story of the world champion, watching with great interest until the end. The event concluded with a reception.
Over 80 guests attended the event, including students and professors from Jiaotong University in Beijing, the Department of Architecture and Design, journalists from Renmin Ribao (China's leading press group) and China Daily. The event promotion was carried out on the online platforms of ICR/ICR Beijing (Website/WeChat/Facebook) as well as in Chinese media, especially on social networks, achieving a record number of promotions (525 views/45 shares).
Special thanks to Theo Niculae for creating this remarkable exhibition, Ana-Maria Brânză for her ongoing inspiration, Irina Păcurariu and the TVR team for the impressive documentary, and last but not least, Miriana Cismaru and Ana Maria Petrescu for their essential contributions to the success of this event.
The exhibition will remain open to the public until September 23, 2024.
